TELEPHONE LINE POWERED CENTRAL OFFICE DROP AND RECONNECT METHOD AND APPARATUS

摘要

An automatic dialer and a method for its use with PSTN telephone lines. A timer within the automatic dialer initiates a programmable countdown when the PSTN line goes off-hook. Then, when the countdown expires, a signal is generated which alerts the CPU to the need for a shutdown. The shutdown sequence begins by preparing an auxiliary power supply that can supply power to the CPU while the telephone line current is unavailable. After the preparation, the CPU enters a low power mode which effectively shuts down the CPU but does not lose the CPU's internal data. The PSTN line is then caused to go on-hook by the dialer for a length of time sufficient to terminate the line. After this length of time, a signal is generated which causes the CPU to exit its low power mode and causes the dialer to acquire a new PSTN line. The new PSTN line then supplies power to the CPU and the CPU then resumes its previous function using its internal data. The CPU can thus resume its routing or control access sequence determination where it left off without losing any data. The call can therefore now be initiated using the new PSTN line.